Temptations of Pleasure Island (6 page)

“You mean so much better?” Josh questioned.

“No, I mean … true enough, he was depressed before, and we worried about that. But now he gets up and starts in from sunup to late at night. He’s got to be at every play, at every ball, and he bets unbelievable amounts on the races and other events.”

“Well,” Josh said hesitantly, “at least he’s not depressed.”

“He isn’t. But he’s not himself, either. My father was always a steady man. Always steady. Now I never know what he’s going to do next.”

There was no time for more talk, for they arrived at the arena and took their places in the king’s royal box. Reb and the two girls were already there. So were Princess Cosima and her mother.

“Well, well, let’s get started with the games,” the king said. He laughed heartily and slapped Wash on the back so vigorously that the boy nearly collapsed. “You’re going to see something today, my boy. Indeed you are!”

Trying to get his breath, Wash asked, “What is it, Your Majesty?”

“It’s a championship wrestling match. I have a man in my court who has defeated everybody he’s wrestled. His name is Leander. If he wins his match today, he’ll be the undisputed island champion.” He turned then and said feverishly to the queen, “How much do you think we should bet, my dear?”

“Well, I don’t think we should bet much, Leo. We don’t know Leander’s opponent.”

“Not bet much!” King Leo’s eyes gleamed, and he laughed loudly. “We’re going to win a fortune on this. Here, Derek.” He reached down to his belt and brought up a large, heavy leather sack. “Go bet all of this on Leander.”

Derek hefted the sack, and he blinked. “But Father,” he said, “there must be several thousand finnigs here.”

“Right! And there will be that many more. You’ll have to give odds, but put it all down. Two to one if you have to.”

“Oh, this is so exciting, Father!” Cosima cried. She drew out a smaller bag and said, “Bet this for me, too, Derek.”

Derek took both money sacks, but he frowned. “I don’t like to do this,” he said.

“Oh, don’t be such an old fuddy-duddy! You’re too
young for that.” The king laughed loudly again. “Go on now, son. Do as I tell you. You’ll see. We’re going to win a bundle.”

With a despairing look at his mother, Derek turned and left the royal box.

Josh could see that the queen was agitated but that Cosima was highly excited.

“I don’t think this is working out too well,” he murmured to Sarah.

She did not have a chance to reply, for at that moment Lady Maeve entered the box.

At once the king said boisterously, “Well, it’s my physician. Come, my dear. Sit here with the queen. You can see the action very well from here.”

“And how are you feeling, Your Majesty?” Lady Maeve asked.

“Never felt better in my life!” the king exclaimed. “Never better! I feel like a young man again.”

“You
are
young, Your Majesty. Young and strong. You should live to be a blessing to your people for many years,” the doctor said smoothly.

“Lady Maeve,” the queen said nervously, “the treatment that you are giving my husband. Is it safe?”

“Oh, certainly, my lady! I wouldn’t think of giving the king anything unsafe!” The doctor sounded shocked to be asked such a question. “Are you unhappy with the result?”

“Of course she’s not,” King Leo said. He put his arm around the queen and hugged her. “She wanted me to get out of my discouraged state, and I’ve certainly done that.”

“Yes, you have. And as your physician, I’m very pleased.”

“Now then,” the king said. “Let me tell you about
this wrestler Leander. He only has to defeat one young man—and an amateur at that. I’ll have the champion wrestler in my stable.”

“What’s the name of Leander’s opponent?” Josh asked.

“Mark … Mark something. I forget what.”

Instantly Josh and Sarah exchanged glances. Josh looked quickly down at the arena. Sure enough, coming out into the competition area even now was Mark Fletcher.

“It’s him,” Josh said. “It’s Mark. He’s wrestling the champion.”

“I thought Mark wasn’t a professional,” Sarah whispered back.

“I did, too.” He raised his voice and asked the king, “You say the young man who is wrestling Leander is not a professional wrestler?”

“No, the more fool he. He refuses to take money. Says he wants to stay an amateur. Well, he’ll have to stay an amateur after this.” Again King Leo laughed heartily. “Leander, I fear, is a rather cruel man. He broke the neck of his last opponent. Purely by accident, of course.”

Sarah drew in a deep breath. “Surely he wouldn’t do that to an amateur.”

The king seemed feverish. “Can’t help it if he does. Can’t help it if he does. I’ve bet money on Leander. I told him to get rid of his opponent as quickly as possible.”

“Josh, maybe we ought to go down and somehow warn Mark,” Sarah whispered.

“It’s too late. Look, they’re squaring off.”

The two wrestlers below, each stripped to a pair of
trunks, began circling each other. Leander was much the larger man. He towered over Mark Fletcher.

“He must weigh three hundred pounds!” Reb exclaimed. “Mark doesn’t have any business wrestling him.”

“He is doing this of his own free will,” the king insisted. “Throw him, Leander! Throw him!”

The action began very quickly. It was clear that Leander was accustomed to easy victories. He launched himself at the younger man, no doubt expecting to throw him to the mat, where he could pin him easily.

Instead Mark Fletcher ducked under his grip and grabbed the wrist of the big man. With a quick twist he threw the champion over his head. Leander hit the ground flat on his back. He was such a large man that the blow made a distinct thud that was heard throughout the arena. A groan went up, for Leander had seldom been thrown.

The champion scrambled to his feet and stood glowering. The muscles on his body swelled, making his opponent look almost small.

“He’s a monster!” Josh whispered. “He can kill Mark if he gets angry.”

Indeed Leander seemed to have that in mind. He advanced with eyes blazing. Around and around, the two men circled. Leander seemed more cautious now, however, having seen the skill and the speed of the younger man.

“Look at Mark. He’s
laughing
. He’s enjoying this,” Sarah said.

“He won’t be wearing that smile long,” the king growled. His face was flushed. He was standing now, shouting encouragement to his favorite.

The match seemed to go on for a long, long time. Again and again, Leander sought a grip, but Mark Fletcher would usually evade his hands. If he did fall into the hands of the huge wrestler, he had skill enough to break free.

On the other hand, Mark was unable to throw the wrestler to the mat again.

“He’s got him now!” the king screamed. “He’s going to break his neck! I’ve seen him do it before.”

“Calm yourself, dear,” the queen begged. “To get so excited is not good for you.”

“The king’s lost his mind,” Jake murmured. “He’s not like himself at all.”

And then Josh saw that, down below in the arena, Leander finally had both hands on Mark. His head was now caught in the crook of Leander’s mighty forearm. Slowly Leander exerted his strength, and the boy seemed to be collapsing under the weight of the enormous wrestler. It became obvious that the champion was trying to snap his neck.

“Call off the match, Father!” Derek shouted. “He’ll kill the young fellow!”

“He knew the risk he was taking!” the king cried. His eyes were bright and wild as he cried encouragements to his champion.

“I can’t stand to watch this,” Sarah said, and she turned away.

But suddenly, by some maneuver too quick for the eye to see, Mark reached over Leander’s shoulder. He grabbed him under the chin and began forcing his head back. It was a struggle, but slowly Leander’s head went back … back … back.

“He’s got him!” Reb yelled. “He’s got him!”

Mark had broken Leander’s hold and now had his
own hold on the wrestler’s arm. He bent it back, with the other hand pulling down, and soon Leander’s shoulders were flat on the ground.

“Mark wins!” a voice cried.

And although most people groaned—they had no doubt bet against the boy—Josh saw Jacob Fletcher standing by the edge of the field, cheering for his son.

In the royal box, the king muttered angrily at his favorite. “Calls himself a champion! Bah! Bring that young man over here!” he commanded.

The master of the arena must have called Mark, for he soon came to the royal box and bowed before the king. “My victory is dedicated to you, sire,” he cried happily.

“You did well. Unfortunately, you lost me a wag-onload of money,” the king said, “but you’ll be in my stable from now on.”

“But, sire, I’m not a professional. Nor do I wish to be.”

“But you will become one. Not many young men get a chance to become the king’s favorite.”

Mark looked very unhappy. He started to protest further, but the king said, “No more of it. Report to the trainer of the wrestlers.”

After Mark left, Josh managed to slip away from the others and went down to have a word with him. He saw the young man speaking with his father and went to him at once. “Congratulations, Mark.”

“Thank you, Josh, but what am I to do about the king? I don’t
want
to be a professional wrestler.”

“Surely the king will understand that,” Josh said.

“I don’t know. He seemed very set on it.” Mark was glum. “I wish I’d never wrestled.”

Looking over at Mark’s father, Josh said, “It’s too bad, isn’t it, that it can’t be just for sport?”

“It’s this betting. That’s what does it. Betting makes maniacs out of people,” Jacob Fletcher grunted. He too was unhappy, and he showed it. “No good will come of it,” he muttered. “No good at all. You’ll see.”

It was the day after Mark Fletcher defeated Leander that Lady Maeve approached the king with a new thought. They were talking in private, as was their custom, and once again she was burning incense.

“King Leo,” she said, “is it not unfair of you to withhold happiness from your family?”

“What? Who? I?” The king was truly surprised. “What are you talking about, Lady Maeve?”

“I mean that Soma has done so much for you, and it would do as much for the other members of your family.”

“But the other members of my family are not depressed, are they?”

“No, but they are unhappy in many other ways. You, perhaps, don’t see it, Your Majesty. You have been so busy with your kingly duties. But I think it’s my duty as a physician to urge you to see that your whole family is on this medication.”

“Medication,” the king muttered. He thought long about it. Lady Maeve spoke so persuasively that finally he said, “Indeed, I think you may have something. I’ll see to it immediately.”

Later that same day, when the royal family were having a private meal, King Leo said, “I have something good in mind for the entire family. You have noticed the improvement in me since Lady Maeve came and put me on medication.”

“Indeed, Father, you are so much more lively now,” Cosima agreed.

“Well, all the credit must go to the doctor and to the medication Soma.”

“The drug that she gives you.”

“It’s a
medication
, not a drug, Derek!” the king snapped. “In any case, I have decided that we shall take it as a family.”

“I’d rather not, Father, if you don’t mind,” the prince said.

“I would rather not either, Leo,” the queen said.

A family argument began, and in the end only Princess Cosima agreed to take Lady Maeve’s medication.

The king was highly displeased with his wife and son. “You’ll come around to my way of thinking sooner or later. See if you don’t.”

For some reason, things did not seem right in the royal household. Reb noticed a troubling change in the prince, and one day he asked him, “What’s the problem, Derek? I can tell that something’s wrong.”

“It’s my father,” the prince said. “He’s changed completely.”

“He sure seems lively enough now.”

“Lively! He is betting money as if it were water. He wants my mother and Cosima and myself to go under the care of that doctor, too. I wish the woman had never come here! And now, as of this morning, Father has gone half crazy.”

“What’s he done?”

“You haven’t heard?” Derek exclaimed bitterly. “He’s put that woman on the king’s council.”

“On the council! What does she know about running a kingdom?”

“Not one thing!” Derek muttered. “But she’s got
my father so tied up that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Reb, I don’t know what to do. He wants all of us to take that Soma. So far my mother and I have refused, but—”

“Good for you. What about the princess?”

“Oh, she was happy enough to agree to it. She spent some time with Lady Maeve, and now she’s happy as a clam.”

Two days later, as Josh and the other Sleepers were going by the council room, the prince came striding angrily out. He looked very upset.

“What’s the matter, Derek?” Josh asked.

“Do you know what he’s done now? Do you know what he’s done?”

“What who’s done?”

“My father.” Derek looked at the Sleepers and rubbed his forehead in frustration. “He’s commanded all the
council
to begin taking Soma.”

“What did they say?”

“What do you think they would say? All except Lord Denning agreed at once.”

“The Master of the Council. What did Lord Denning say?” Sarah asked.

“He advised against it. But everyone else all fell into place. I think they’re all afraid of Lady Maeve.”

“Now, I think Lady Maeve is all right, Derek,” Abbey declared. “After all, see how she has helped your father.”

“No, I don’t think she’s helped,” the prince said. “I think there’s something wrong with that woman. Oh, she smiles, and my father’s not depressed anymore. But he gambles more than ever. And he does irresponsible things like this.” He looked down at his feet and
then said quietly, “I don’t mind telling you that I’m worried sick.”

He turned abruptly and walked off.

As the Sleepers looked after him, Abbey said, “He’ll come around. He just hates change. That’s all.”